(1) Field of the Invention
This disclosure is directed to a method and apparatus for thermomechanically activating polymer media for the formation of silicon carbide indents for probe storage and to storing and reading data encoded by such indents.
(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Submitted Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Allenspach et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,680,808) is representative of a magnetic millipede for ultra high density magnetic storage. According to the Allenspach et al. abstract, “a two-dimensional array of cantilevered tips . . . is advantageously used in an inventional storage system each of which tips serves as a heat source when it is activated by a current flowing through a resistive path within said tip . . . ”
Frommer et al. (U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2005/0050258) discloses, in the abstract, that cross-linked “polymers are used as the recording layers, in atomic force microscopy data storage devices, giving significantly improved performance when compared to the previously reported linear polymers.”
Despont et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,647,766) discloses that a “basic arrangement for thermomechanical writing and readout . . . [including for] writing binary information into [a] storage media . . . , the polymer surface is locally softened or melted with [a] heated tip . . . by simultaneously applying a light pressure onto the tip . . . by [a] cantilever . . . , resulting in nanometer-scale indentations in the surface of the storage media . . . representing the binary information in the form of indents” (see Despont et al. column 1, lines 44-57).
Bianconi et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,989,428) discloses “silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics that can be produced from poly(methylsilyne), as well as other ceramics, which can be produced from these precursors” (see the Bianconi et al. abstract). Also see U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0010108 to Bianconi et al.